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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Guest Laura Childs, serving Cream Scones and a #bookgiveaway

Leslie here, delighted to welcome my cousin---really, truly; I'm not being metaphoric---the fabulous Laura Childs, New York Times best-selling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Cackleberry Club Mysteries, and Scrapbooking Mysteries, and next summer, a new thriller series under her real name, Gerry Schmitt. And it's wonderful that she's talking about her dogs. Dogs play a role in many of her books, and family collie, Duke, was the first dog I ever loved!

Leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win a signed, harcover copy of PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE, the newest Scrapbooking Mystery!

A funny thing happened to me
in the kitchen the other day.My dogs
decided to watch me make scones.These
are two snooty, deign-to-even-take-notice Chinese Shar-Pei named Asia and
Moosha.Yet they seemed delighted when I
measured out all the ingredients, transfixed when I mixed the flour and butter
with my fingers, and sat – staring and immobile – while my scones baked in the
oven.What was the result of all this
kitchen love?A great pan of scones that
was enjoyed by all!(See photo of them
noshing away.)And because I manage to
slip tea drinking and scones into pretty much every mystery I write, I thought
you’d enjoy my basic cream scone recipe.

Basic Cream Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter,
chilled and diced

½ cup cream

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400
degrees.

Combine flour, brown sugar,
baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and, using fork or fingers, mix until ingredients form a
coarse meal. hisk egg and cream
together in a separate bowl and then add to flour mixture. Knead gently to thoroughly moisten and form
dough. Add more cream if mixture is too
dry. Drop dough (about a ¼ cup’s worth)
onto lightly greased baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart.

Note:
This is a basic recipe, so you can always toss in a cup of chocolate
chips or butterscotch chips if you prefer your scones a little sweeter!

Leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, October 11, for a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE.

Here's the scoop on the newest Scrapbook Mystery, PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE:

In
this cozy-thriller from Laura Childs, scrapbook maven Carmela Bertrand tries to
track down the killer of a young bride-to-be who’s been brutally murdered in a
New Orleans cemetery. Could it be the
conflicted groom, stalker attorney, jealous bridesmaid, or crazy mother-in-law
to be? As Carmela sorts through this
dysfunctional group of suspects, snippets of antique lace and parchment become
critical clues in the case. And it all
comes to an enormous head at a raucous casino party that ends with a frantic
chase through an abandoned theme park. Scrapbooking tips are included along with recipes for Pecan Pie Muffins,
Sweet Potato Casserole, Big Easy Butter Chicken, and more.

Laura
Childs is the New York Times
bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and
Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

Little Girl Lost, the first in her new
hard-edged thriller series written under the name Gerry Schmitt, will be out in
June, 2016.

Learn more at www.laurachilds.com Buy the books at Amazon, B&N,
BAM, IndieBound, or your local mystery or independent bookseller.

I have always wanted to try a scone. I love this title. I have seen Arsenic and Old Lace as a play many times and also the movie with Cary Grant. I find cozy mysteries tend to have such clever titles. thanks for the giveaway. eeyore722@gmail.com

I love all of her series, but I am partial to the Scrapbooking series because it is set in my favorite city, New Orleans. I have actually used one of them like a cookbook so much that I had to get a new one for my shelf, because I keep them all. Carmela's crab cake recipe is awesome. dr(dot)oldsmobile(at)icloud(dot)com

You need to read this series for the food alone. I love scones, thanks for what seems to be a very doable recipe. And cannot wait for the new thriller series. Thanks for the giveaway.sallycootie@gmail.com

Have always wanted to find a fool-proof scone recipe! And are you two really cousins!?! How fun. Thanks so much for the chance to win the new scrapbooking book--a favorite series of mine!JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

This looks like a wonderful recipe to try. I'm sure my sweet old-lady dog Molly would love to sample them. She once ate half a birthday cake off the counter where it was cooling, and once managed to snag a dozen or so peanut butter cookies, also cooling on the counter. Definitely a dog with a sweet tooth. rencw@verizon.net

I love scones and that recipe sounds easy enough for me to try. I can already picture me reading a good cozy, eating a scone, and sipping tea. Thanks for the contest--I'd love to win.suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Love all your series. Can't wait to read this one and your new one coming out. Thanks for the chance to win. This was a great post and the recipe must be good since the dogs sat still for it to bake. doward1952@yahoo.com

The recipe for the scones looks delicious. I'm not a big scrapbooker but I do enjoy making memory cards for family and friends. It is similar to doing scrapbooking but on a smaller scale. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book. robeader53@yahoo.com

Oh Laura how I love your Cackleberry Club series! I've read them all & they never disappoint. I'm looking forward to your next one.Thank you for posting today & for a chance to win in the give-a-way!sxygrndma48{at}yahoo{dot}com

This series is the only one I havent read all of. Will have to rectify that! Wow so cool that two amazing authors are cousins. It sure must run in the family. I love scones and would have them every day if I could. will have to try this recipe!! Thanks a ton. kayt18 at comcast dot net

Why, thank you, Kay! I'm so thrilled to see how many of you love Laura aka Gerry and her books as much as I do! (I would say I've looked up to her all my life, but any of you who have met us both would laugh -- I shot past her and her sister at about 13!)

I can't wait to make the scones for my lady friends. I have read all of the Tea Shop Mysteries and the Cackleberry Mysteries so now I am looking for to the Scrapbook Mysteries. I have all ready marked my June calendar for Little Girl Lost. Thank you for this contest opportunity. penguingram142@yahoo.com

I have always wanted to try my hand at making scones and your recipe has inspired me to just do it! You are a new author for me! I'm looking forward to reading your books! Thanks for the giveaway! dblaser(at)windstream(dot)net

Thanks to all of you for such wonderful, heartwarming comments. I wish I could sit down and share tea and scones with everyone! (But no dogs this time, just us.) Take care and be sure to enter the book giveaway!

Thank you for continuing to offer books in hardcover. I recently tried your scrapbooking series and love the characters, settings and of course the recipes ! I would enjoy winning your signed hardcover copy !Bonnie (bmalic610@yahoo.com)

I fell in love with Laura Childs books when I started reading her tea shop mysteries. I was ecstatic to discover that she had other series. The recipe sounds delicious, I love a good scone. I might add cinnamon chips when I try out the recipe. :-)

I literally, just tried to explain the unbelievable perfection of all of Laura Child's series, to my son-in-law, yesterday. While reading her books, you can close your eyes, and taste, feel, and "see" what your character is experiencing. You become part of the story, in your mind. You can't wait to experience with them, all the other characters, and figure out who might hurt "you," or more realistically, them, before its too late.